Lon Chaney Jr. stars as Larry Talbot, a furry, fang-sprouting creature of the night in this 1941 Universal thriller. Attempting to save a young woman from a vicious wolf attack, Talbot is bitten by what he soon discovers is a werewolf. He is quickly taken to a gypsy camp, where he is told that “even a man who is pure at heart and says his prayers by night will become a wolf when the wolfsbane blooms and the autumn moon is bright.” Sure enough, Talbot becomes bloodthirsty, attacking villagers whenever the full moon rises. Chaney, in only his second horror film, forged a classic character in Talbot, which he went on to play in the four sequels to The Wolf Man. Other cast members include Claude Rains, Ralph Bellamy, Bela Lugosi and Maria Ouspenskaya. George Waggoner directed with fog-filled photography by Hitchcock’s frequent collaborator, Joseph Valentine. See “Special Showings” for details.
